Tekra Tyawerai

Daughter of All People

No one truthfully knows Tekra's last name. The surname "Tyawerai," meaning "Heavenly" or "Angelic," was adopted to cement her posthumous image as a legend.

Historical Basis

The closest source to the event of her death, at least one that remains to this day, is a small article on the fourth page of the Ak'tawo local newspaper. "Today, in front of the city's palace gates, a girl was found, face down in a rainy puddle. She seemed to be just above maturity, and moderately tall and lanky. Among her possessions were a small pouch of coins and a spool of lace. Her only identifier was a slip of paper on which someone, presumably she, tested her handwriting. For all this, only the single character for 'Tekra' could be discerned." No family ever claimed (or proved) that Tekra was part of its bloodline, and it is likely that she was an orphan.

Spread

In a moment of deep unpopularity, King Kalti VI of Wlitowa took it upon himself to avenge the murder of Tekra. She was posthumously adopted as an honorary member of the Ewira Dynasty, meaning that her killer was by law subject to death without trial. Coincidentally, the criminal responsible happened to be Iorow Aroiwaryi, the leader of the revolutionaries, as determined by royal law enforcement. Thousands of nationals moved from a moderate or rebellious sympathy to the loyalist side. As a result, the king's dissidents presented a counter-story, outlining the king's cruelty and painting Tekra as a revolutionary. The more radical among them declared that the king's story was true and that, in fact, Tekra deserved to die.

Variations & Mutation

If you believe the loyalists, Tekra knew nothing of the real world. She would pass by the streets of Ak'tawo and greet the neighbors with a smile and a "Have a nice day." She would feed the widows and orphans, being an orphan herself, and she would always fight for the wellbeing of her peers. She was a model citizen, and her beauty derived from her virtue. The dissidents of the king, however, cared very little for the lives of "model citizens," and they decided to poison the waters of the local ghetto. Tekra was there when the saboteurs approached. She begged for them to spare the lives of the citizens, and, when they refused, she wrestled the poison from them and drank it all herself. She died at the steps of the palace which she loved. If you believe the reformers, Tekra was a helpless peasant, one of the masses. She was loathe to join a faction dedicated to warring against the establishment, and she believed that, deep inside his heart, Kalti VI was a good man at heart. Under this false premise, she built a bouquet of flowers, collecting them from the countryside and buying the most beautiful with what few coins she had to spare. She approached the palace just as Kalti VI was about to sally forth. She presented the flowers to His Majesty and bowed humbly. But, because of a single ill-fitting flower from the countryside, the tyrant smacked her across the cheek. Her heart broke, and she collapsed onto the ground, only to suffocate in the puddle beneath her. If you believe the radicals, Tekra had a heart as black as the bottom of the sea. She would steal from the poor and kill the homeless with just a mere look of contempt. She came from the masses, but, truly, she felt above them in every concievable way. As the revolution collaborated to free the people, she would lurk in the shadows to collect information to report to her conniving master. In fact, she was on her way to snitch on the people just outside the palace. She transferred the whereabouts of a certain few key rebel outposts in exchange for her usual pay: a single coin. Upon receiving the coin, guilt consumed her, and the deeds of her actions overwhelmed her sensory functions, causing her to collapse upon the pavement, face down.

Cultural Reception

Tekra Tyawerai became an icon for all sides of Wlitowa politics, yet she endured past each one of them. The monarchy collapsed under the weight of the revolution, which collapsed under its own weight years later. When leadership finally arose in Wlitowa out of a cry for levelheadedness and reason. They looked through whatever available records they could find for what truly happened to Tekra Tyawerai. Most sources were already extremely polarized, going to levels of giving Tekra supernatural powers. If the monarchy didn't destroy the few reliable sources that remained, the rebellion did. The small article was all that remained after scouring the country. To this day, the term "Tekra Tyawerai" is synonymous with finding an anticlimactic answer to a deep curiosity, or with growing a small story out of control.

In Art

Tekra Tywerai was used for propaganda, but Tekra's body was incinerated before any official drawings were made of her. In order to improve their relations with the people, both sides made Tekra as close as they could to the average working citizen. Through honing and studying, they coincidentally came upon nearly identical figures. Historians well after the collapse of the revolution could actually use Tekra's visage and gain insight on the biological changes to Wlitowa people over the centuries. For example, hair color had significantly darkened since Tekra's passing, and shoulder width had increased significantly.

Date of First Recording

251

Date of Setting

251

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